Student Discovery Adventures in China Blog & Twitter

Reasons to Consider Learning Chinese

1. Chinese is the fastest growing foreign language being taught in US schools
2. Communication - Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world. Chinese is the language of nearly 1/4 of the world's population and is the most used language on the Internet. Learn to speak Mandarin and you can speak with millions of people around the world. It has been predicted that by 2050, English will be accompanied by Chinese, Arabic, Spanish and Urdu, as the world's big languages. Speakers of Chinese not only live in China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, but also spread throughout Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe, where large Chinese communities congregate. Basically you can find a "China Town" in any major city.
3. Economy & Business - China currently has the second largest economy in the world. Chinese people today have been playing increasingly important roles worldwide: 4 out of 10 top corporations in the world are owned by Chinese. To take advantage of this huge economic shift and opportunities, learning to speak Chinese is a great way to gain an advantage in the increasingly competitive world.
4. Travel - China and Taiwan offer exciting travel opportunities. Getting around is much easier if you can speak Mandarin.
5. Culture - With over 5000 years of history, Chinese culture is endlessly fascinating. Whether your interests are in history, architecture, music, or cuisine, a knowledge of Mandarin will enrich your understanding of Chinese culture. It will also help you when ordering Chinese food!
6. Brainpower - Learning another language builds bridges inside your brain. When you use a foreign word, this word also triggers associations in the brain, brought about by the other languages that you know. Maybe this is why it seems people who know multiple languages seem smarter. Research also indicates that bilingual speakers are better able to deal with distractions than those who speak only a single language.

Other Resources

• Language Learning Page

• Join the Student Discovery Adventures in China Blog & Twitter!
• High Frequency Chinese Phrases
• YellowBridge Chinese-EnglishTranslation Dictionary for Learners
• English to Mandarin Dictionary
• Animated Chinese Characters
• Learning Language Library - Chinese

References

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39338-2004Jun13.html http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1108/p02s01-ussc.html http://www.articlesbase.com/languages-articles/4-reasons-why-you-should-learn-chinese-403646.html http://www.micheloud.com/FXM/LA/LA/mandarin.htm http://www.educationupdate.com/archives/2004/december/html/Spot-BilingualEducationForThe21stCentury.html